Two Worlds
by LoneWolfSkye
Summary: Hermione left the war-torn wizard world behind and has been living as a muggle. But when an old friend asks for her help, she finds herself thrown back into the fight alongside some unexpected allies. Timeline diverts after book 6. AU
1. Old Friends

Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter

A/N: This story takes place approximately three years after the end of book 6: the Half Blood Prince. The main pairing will eventually be Hermione and Pansy, so if girl/girl (or Slytherin/Gryffindor) relationships bother you: Consider yourself warned. Other pairings include: Ginny/Luna Neville/Susan and Draco/Daphne

Chapter 1: Old Friends

"What can I get… you…" Hermione trailed off as she recognized the man at the corner table. He'd filled out considerably and his shaggy black hair hung down to cover his forehead. However, when he looked up at her, the bottle green eyes were the same.

"Just a beer, please," he said with a small smile. His voice sounded slightly hoarse, as though he didn't use it often any more.

She nodded mutely and strode across the empty bar to retrieve the drink. She hadn't seen Harry in over a year. No one had. He'd been hunting horcruxes alone, staying off the grid and several steps ahead of the Death Eaters. Other members of the Order helped him when he needed it or continued the fight on other fronts.

Hermione had been living in the muggle world for the last year. Her and several other survivors of the last great battle had moved away from the war torn world. Without a high school diploma, there weren't a lot of muggle job choices. She'd been hired at this small, dingy London bar ten months before. She always kept her wand with her, but hadn't done a single spell since then.

She set down the bottle and snapped the cap off expertly. He cocked his head at her slightly before taking a sip. "I'm off in an hour," she said softly before walking away.

"What's wrong?" the cook asked when she walked into the back. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He wiped his hands on his grease-stained apron and walked to where she'd set her tray down.

She glanced up and met gray eyes that were narrowed in concern. "Harry's here." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

His mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a moment. "Harry P-" She clapped a hand over his mouth in alarm and looked around wildly. Uttering the full name out loud would bring Death Eaters down on their heads in an instant. A taboo had been placed on the name the year before, along with Voldemort's. She slowly lowered her hand and sighed. "Sorry," he muttered. "But what the bloody hell is he doing here?"

"I don't know," she glanced at the wall that separated them. "I was going to wait until closing time to talk to him." He nodded distractedly and wiped his hands again before turning back to the grill he'd been cleaning. She took a deep breath and composed her features before returning to the front of the bar.

Harry sat quietly nursing his beer and not looking up, and the hour seemed to drag by. Finally it was closing time and she returned to his table. "So where do you want to go?" she asked him softly. "There's a café around the corner that's open all night, would that be ok?"

He nodded slowly. "Is anyone else around? I could use all the help I could get."

She frowned, thinking. "A few. Neville lives in our building-"

"Our?"

"Draco and I," she clarified. He raised an eyebrow and she smirked at him. "We're just room mates, Harry," she said with a chuckle. After his mother had been killed, he'd left the magical world as well. For a while, he'd been hunted but things seemed to have settled down recently. When he'd switched sides they'd eventually become friends and now they shared a small flat several blocks away.

"Anyway," she continued, smiling slightly, "He's just finishing up in the back so I can ask him to come if you'd like."

He leaned back in his chair to consider. "Actually, he'd probably like to hear this as well," he said finally. "Who else?"

"Well, Luna's probably still at work…" A noise behind her made her turn. Draco was hanging up his apron and replacing it with a thick jacket. His platinum hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and covered with a backward cap. "Well, this is a surprise," he said good-naturedly as he strode over.

He held out a hand and Harry looked down at it for a moment before shaking it. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. The old grudges were clearly still on Harry's mind. "So, boys, shall we go get some early breakfast?"

Hermione wrapped her scarf a little tighter as the three of them walked in silence down the deserted street. It was mid-October and the air was cool. She was relieved when they reached the café. They were the only customers. The dark haired waitress smiled and set down her crossword when she saw them. "Hey guys," she said cheerily as she moved to greet them.

"Hi, Daphne," Hermione gave her a quick hug before sliding into a booth. Draco grinned and waved, then slid in beside her.

Harry was still standing, glancing around uneasily. His gaze hardened slightly as it fell on the waitress's back. Daphne Greengrass had been in school with them, in Slytherin, and Hermione wondered if he recognized her.

She cleared her throat. "Have a seat," she gestured to the empty side of the booth. He seemed to remember himself and quickly sat down.

When Daphne turned to him, she did the slightest of double-takes and her eyes widened. "What are you doing here?" she choked out. He narrowed his eyes at her and she flushed slightly. "I mean… how- how are you?"

He shrugged, still watching her intently. She squirmed slightly under the scrutiny and Hermione decided to intervene. "Harry, you remember Daphne? She was at school with us." She decided to leave out which house she'd been in. If Harry didn't remember, that was fine with her.

His expression instantly cleared. "Of course, sorry. I'm doing alright, how about you?" He smiled at her and she visibly relaxed.

"I'm not too bad," she said with a grin. "What can I get you? The usual?" she raised an eyebrow at Draco and Hermione, who both nodded.

"Nothing for me, thanks," Harry said quickly. He waited until she'd returned with two cups of tea and a plate of bacon sandwiches before speaking. "So what have you heard about the state of things lately?"

"Just what we read in the mug- in the papers," Draco replied. "Accidents, disappearances, unexplained deaths…" He sighed and picked up a sandwich.

Harry frowned at them in confusion. "You don't get the Prophet any more?"

Hermione shook her head sadly. "It wouldn't be safe to receive owls at our flat. As far as anyone knows, we're just perfectly normal people."

He seemed to think this over. "I suppose I can understand that. It doesn't matter anyway, it's just more of the same." His eyes were dark and far away.

"So what did you need our help with?" Hermione prompted gently after a long silence.

"I need you to get everyone together that you can. We're going to be breaking into the Parkinson estate." His eyes settled on Draco, who paled and set down his sandwich quickly.

"Why?" he asked in a whisper.

"There's some information I need that's kept there," Harry said shortly. "Possibly more, but you're safer not knowing the details. Just get everyone together that you can by tomorrow afternoon."

Hermione hastily pulled a pen from her purse and scribbled down their address. "Here, we can get everyone together at our place," she said as she slid the paper to him. "Maybe around three?" He glanced at it and nodded before shoving it into his pocket and standing. He gave her a tight smile and strode out without another word.

They stared in silence at the door until Daphne slid into his vacated seat. She leaned toward them, frowning. "What was that about? Has something else happened?"

Hermione tore her eyes from the door to the worried girl in front of her. She didn't know what to say. After everything they'd all been through, watching friends and family die all around them, he wanted them to come back. They'd left that world behind them. However, she knew she'd help him. How could she not?

She sighed heavily. "Daphne, are you free tomorrow?"

That same night, a lone figure was making her way from a warehouse toward a nearby convenience store. She pulled up the collar of her jacket against the evening chill, eyes constantly watching the shadows around her. She shivered slightly and a short lock of sandy hair fell into her eyes. She tossed her head slightly, but didn't want to take her hands from her pockets to fix it.

When she reached the store, she glanced around anxiously. She smiled in relief when a thin girl emerged from the back room, shrugging on a jacket. Luna smiled back when she caught sight of her. Her dyed black hair was caught up in a messy bun and dark makeup lined her wide blue eyes.

"Hello, Ginny," she slipped her arms under the jacket to hug her. "How was work?"

"Alright," Ginny mumbled, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "You?"

Luna looked up at her, studying her features. "The same as always," she said airily. "Ready to go home?"

"Definitely." She twined the fingers of her left hand with Luna's, keeping her right hand in her pocket and gripping her wand. It was their routine every night that when Ginny got off work, she went straight to the store to pick up Luna. Luna, even though she got off a half hour earlier, always waited there until Ginny had arrived so they could walk home together. Even though they'd been away from the wizarding world for a year, they still had to be extremely careful.

They walked the quarter mile in silence, both watching for any movement on the quiet street. When they reached their building, Luna typed in the door code while Ginny kept an eye on their surroundings.

By the time they reached the third floor, Ginny's legs were beginning to ache. They'd been extremely busy at the warehouse that evening and she'd skipped her break. Tiredly, she reached into her shirt and extracted the key that hung around her neck to unlock their front door. She shouldered it open and staggered in to collapse on the couch with a groan.

Luna carefully locked the door and turned to her with a soft smile. "Are you alright?" She walked over and placed a kiss on top of her head.

Ginny smiled and caught her around the waist, pulling the smaller girl onto her lap. "I'll be fine, it was just a long day."

Luna giggled and twisted in her grip to kiss her neck. "Anything I can do to make you feel better?" Before Ginny could reply, the phone rang, causing both girls to jump. The device was one of many muggle things that took some getting used to.

"Who'd be calling this late?" Ginny muttered as Luna sprang up to answer it. She sank into the cushions and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at their sparse furnishings and peeling wallpaper. Both of them worked full time, but money was always tight. Ginny missed the world she'd grown up in and often thought about what their lives would have been like if they hadn't been forced from it.

"What?" Luna's startled voice broke her from her melancholy thoughts. Ginny leapt to her feet and raced into the kitchen, her earlier soreness forgotten in a rush of adrenaline. "Alright, we'll be by first thing tomorrow," Luna said as she hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Ginny demanded immediately. But Luna's face showed only confusion. She let out a shaky breath as she hugged the smaller girl tightly. After years of war, there was hardly anyone left to lose and she was constantly worried about the few people still in their lives.

Luna pulled back slightly and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. "Everyone's ok, love," she reassured her. She caught her hand and led her back to the couch. "That was Hermione. She wants us to come by tomorrow."

Ginny sighed and turned to lay her head against the threadbare arm of the couch. Luna immediately moved to rest her head against her shoulder and cuddle against her. "Did she say why?"

"Harry's back." Ginny tensed at the news. No one had seen Harry in months. He'd gone off on his own to find a way to destroy Voldemort and only appeared when he needed help on his quest. The idea of fighting again sent an involuntary shiver through her, but she wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement.

Luna cuddled closer to her, tucking her head under her chin. "Did she say what he wanted?" Ginny asked as she ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair.

"No," Luna mumbled distractedly. "She just said to come by tomorrow." Ginny nodded and reached down around Luna to retrieve the television remote from the floor. It snapped to life with a short buzz of static and she smiled. It was one of her favorite muggle contraptions, a wonderful distraction from the world. She flicked through the channels and settled on a movie that seemed vaguely familiar. Hugging Luna closer, she watched until she finally fell asleep.

"Would you relax?" Draco said moodily, "You're making me dizzy." Hermione paused in her restless pacing to glare at him. He was sitting at their small dining table with his hands clenched around a mug of tea. She sighed heavily and sat across from him. "How can I possibly relax?" she snapped, then dropped her head wearily. "I just can't believe we're going to be fighting again after all this time. I wonder if this war will ever be over."

Draco sighed and dropped his gaze to his rapidly cooling drink. "I know," he said heavily. "Sometimes I just want to leave. Move to another country, another continent. But we can't, can we." It wasn't a question.

She looked up at him and smiled sadly. "We can't," she agreed. "But sometimes I wish we could." There was a knock at the door and both their heads shot up. Draco snatched his wand from the table as he stood up. She twisted in her seat and tightened her grip on her own wand as she waited.

A moment later, Draco returned, followed by Neville and Daphne. Hermione stood and quickly embraced them. Daphne had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. She looked like she'd just woken up. Neville, on the other hand, had clearly come straight from work. His knees were grass-stained and he still had on the hat that displayed his company's logo. He worked for a small landscaping company which made him the only one of them doing anything close to what they'd planned at Hogwarts.

Hermione poured Daphne some coffee and the four of them settled around the table to wait. Fifteen minutes passed in silence before there was another knock.

Hermione answered this time, gripping her wand out of habit. She looked through the peephole and saw Ginny and Luna. "What's your favorite team?" she asked through the door.

"Hollyhead Harpies."

She smiled and unlocked the door, ushering both girls in. They hugged tightly and Hermione stepped back to look them over. Ginny's hair was shorter than last time she'd seen her but both of them still had their hair dyed. They both looked tired, but otherwise healthy. They followed her into the kitchen and greeted everyone.

There was a loud crack and six wands instantly pointed to the figure who'd just apparated into the increasingly crowded kitchen. Harry smiled at them uncertainly but no one lowered their wands. "Who gave you your Firebolt?" Hermione demanded shakily.

"My godfather, Sirius Black," he replied, holding up his empty hands. Slowly the wands were lowered and returned to where they'd been stowed. "Sorry to startle you," he said sheepishly, "I thought it'd be better if no one saw me walking up to your place."

"I suppose," Draco muttered, returning to his seat. "You could've bloody warned us last night, at least," he added with a smirk.

Harry chuckled and glanced around the room at everyone. "I'm glad you all could make it." His eyes widened slightly as he looked past Hermione and she followed his gaze to where Ginny was standing. She had an arm wrapped protectively around Luna and was watching him with an unreadable expression.

Everyone watched the silent exchange for a moment until Neville cleared his throat discretely. "So, Harry, what did you need our help with?"

He seemed to remember himself. His gaze hardened and shifted to Hermione. "I'm going to be breaking into the Parkinson estate-"

Daphne gasped softly, then blushed when she realized all eyes had turned to her. "Sorry," she said in a small voice. "It's just, Pansy and I were friends…"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Harry said harshly.

Daphne blushed harder and shook her head. "I'll go, don't worry."

Harry nodded and turned slightly away from Hermione, who was glaring at him. He looked at Neville instead as he continued. "I'm breaking into the Parkinson estate. There are some things that are kept there that I need. I can't have anyone with me who is a known Order member, that's why I came to you."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Finally Ginny spoke. "What sort of things are they keeping?" Hermione turned in her seat to watch the younger girl. Her eyes were blazing with a fire she hadn't seen in a long time.

"You're safer not knowing," Harry said simply.

"You want us to risk our lives and you're not even going to tell us why?" she demanded.

Harry's jaw clenched. "You know why." Ginny looked away sharply. They all knew why, the ultimate goal. Defeat Voldemort. When no one raised any more objections, he cleared his throat and spoke again. "We should leave immediately." He glanced around and settled on Draco's empty tea cup. He pulled his wand and pointed at it. "Por-"

"Don't!" Hermione shouted, snatching the cup from the table and holding it protectively. He raised an eyebrow at her. "We don't do magic here, ever." She placed the cup gently in the sink.

He nodded, frowning slightly. "Well then, where should we go?" He sounded annoyed, but Hermione didn't care. They'd worked very hard to stay invisible from their own world. None of them used magic at all, not even the simplest of spells. There was absolutely no indication of what they really were.

"Why don't we head down to the park?" Neville suggested uneasily. "It's only a few blocks away." Harry looked mildly disgruntled but he agreed.

They ushered everyone out and as they closed the door, Draco slipped his key ring from his jacket pocket and locked the single dead bolt. Harry stared at the door, then at Draco, dumbfounded.

"That's it?" he hissed. "That's all the protection you have here?"

"All magic leaves traces," Draco replied, replacing his keys and zipping his jacket. "Anything extra would be like a bloody beacon that wizards lived here." Harry scowled, but didn't comment further.

Harry fidgeted in the cramped elevator and Hermione had to bite back a smile. He'd been raised around muggles, but he seemed more uncomfortable in this setting that the pure-bloods. In the lobby he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone hailed them.

"Hello, Neville," a raspy voice called.

Neville smiled and turned to the older woman who was smiling benignly at them. "Hello Mrs. Harris, how are you tonight?"

She gave a long suffering sigh. "This rainy weather always makes my bones ache…" She gave his companions a beady stare. "Where are you kids off to tonight?"

"Just out on the town for a bit," he replied breezily. "We've all got the day off tomorrow. You remember 'Mione and Drake?" He gestured to them and they both waved cheerily.

"Hello dears," she smiled widely, revealing several gold teeth. "Neville, if you've got the day off you must come by tomorrow for tea. I picked up the loveliest potted lily! It's imported from Africa, I know you'll love it!"

His eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be great! Is it-" he broke off when Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Um… I'll stop by tomorrow then." He blushed lightly and waved again. She glared briefly at Harry but smiled and waved to the rest of them.

Neville and Draco led the way to the park with Harry close behind with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Luna was next to Daphne, talking softly. Ginny dropped back to walk with Hermione. "He's changed," she said quietly.

Hermione nodded, staring at the back of her former best friend's head. "I suppose it's only to be expected…" she agreed sadly. She thought back to the old Harry. The three of them had originally gone together to search for horcruxes. Her and Harry and Ron. Ron… That had been the point when he'd changed. They'd met up with the Dark Lord and his death eaters and barely managed to escape with their lives. Voldemort had cast a spell on Ron that had left him in a catatonic state, and nothing they'd tried had been able to reverse it. He'd been in St. Mungo's Spell Damage ward for nearly two years. After that, Harry had decided to disappear. He didn't want to put her in any more danger and wouldn't be swayed by her tearful arguments. In the beginning, she'd visited Ron, but it had become too painful.

"Here we are," Neville's voice brought her out of her memories. The park was a single city block, with some shabby benches and a small pond.

Harry nodded, looking around carefully. He spotted a waste bin and picked an old drinks can out of it. "Everyone ready?" he said hoarsely. They crowded closer, nodding determinedly. "Portus."


	2. Prison Break

Disclaimer: I don not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 2: Prison Break

It took Hermione a moment to get her bearings when they landed. It had been a long time since she'd traveled by portkey. Ginny stumbled into her and she caught the younger girl's elbow to keep her steady. She mumbled a quick thank you and quickly moved next to Luna.

Hermione glanced around. They'd arrived in a manicured lawn next to a dark, imposing stone wall. She stared up at it, then around at Harry. He was checking their surroundings with his wand held high. When he nodded to himself, she stepped closer to him. "Now what?" she whispered.

He smiled and pulled a small blinking device from his pocket. "A little something George rigged up for me," he explained as he attached it to the wall in front of him. The blinking changed from blue to red. "You may want to step back," he added. The others had just begun to move away when he flicked his wand at it. There was a flash of light and rush of air that knocked them all off their feet. Hermione covered her head with her hands as tiny bits of stone rained down on them. The explosion was eerily silent.

After a moment she raised her head and looked around. She heard muttered curses as the others got to their feet and then a hand appeared in her face. "That was… unexpected," Draco muttered as he helped her up. She nodded fervently and glanced back at the wall, which now had a gaping hole through it.

Wordlessly, Harry slipped through and the others hurried to follow him. "Aren't you worried about alarms?" Ginny hissed ahead of her.

"Nope," Harry replied easily. "That should have bypassed them all."

"Should have?" Daphne echoed nervously as she followed Hermione through. Draco grunted nervously.

Hermione finally got a good view once they were all through. A huge three story mansion stood in front of them. The dark colors and design made it look almost like a small castle. The others stared around in awe before Harry moved to stand in front of them.

"Alright," he began," we're going to split into two groups from here." Several people opened their mouths to comment but he held up a hand for silence. "We'll all meet back here in an hour. One group will be coming with me to the top floor, the other will be going into the basement. We've received word that several prisoners might be held down there."

"Who's going with who?" Draco asked immediately. Harry narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked between Draco and Daphne.

Hermione frowned as she caught this. "Why don't Draco, Daphne and I take the basement," she suggested, staring hard at Harry.

Ginny seemed to catch on and talked over Harry as he started to argue. "Then Luna, Neville and I can go with Harry," she confirmed. He looked between them, green eyes narrowed suspiciously, then nodded tersely.

"Alright let's go," he agreed. "Remember, meet here in one hour." He turned abruptly and headed toward the house. The other three offered small smiles before following.

Hermione watched them until they disappeared around a corner, then turned to the other two. "I guess he still doesn't trust Slytherins," Daphne said wryly.

Hermione sighed heavily. "Don't worry about it, I trust you both." They seemed slightly pacified by the sentiment. "Have either of you been here before? We need to find the basement."

"I have," Draco said immediately. He started in the opposite direction of the others.

"Wait," Hermione called after him. She waved her wand in the air and produced three black bandanas. It felt strange to do spell work after all this time and she looked at her creations sadly. "I'm a little off apparently," she said as she handed them each one. "I was going for colors."

She smirked at them before tying it around her face. The others followed suit, then Draco took off his hat. He pointed his wand at it and it multiplied. He handed the other two to the girls with a chuckle. "That should help a little bit," he murmured.

"We look like muggle robbers," Daphne giggled when she caught sight of the other two.

"Yea well, it's better than being recognized," Hermione pointed out, smiling behind her makeshift mask. Her eyes met Draco's briefly and he nodded. "Ok, let's go."

Ginny held her wand in a death grip as they made their way through the maze of hallways. She felt very exposed wandering through the house, clearly visible. "Don't you have your cloak?" she whispered to Harry, who was ahead of her.

"Didn't want to risk losing it," he said distractedly. He paused at an intersection and looked down the different halls.

"That's comforting," Ginny mumbled to Neville, who chuckled softly.

"What about a disillusionment?" Luna suggested, her blue eyes following a large portrait that was watching them.

"They'll detect any spells we do inside of here," Harry replied brusquely. Luna glanced back at Ginny who gave her shoulder a quick reassuring squeeze. They rounded a corner and ended up at a small staircase. No one spoke as they ascended the two flights to the top floor. They emerged into what looked like a huge study. The walls were lined with books and knickknacks, there were several antique lamps and leather couches, and a huge desk that dominated one side.

"Stay here," Harry muttered as he started forward. He circled around the desk once, then crouched behind it.

"I'm beginning to wonder what he needed us for," Ginny growled, scowling across the room at the top of his head.

She felt Luna grasp her free hand lightly. "The easier this is, the better, love," she whispered. Ginny nodded grimly, although part of her was itching to start a fight, just to feel the rush of the old days. She reminded herself that she also had to worry about Luna and forced herself to remain calm.

Harry uttered a noise of triumph and straightened, holding a black box about the size of a textbook. "Alright," he said as he stuffed it into a small beaded bag, "let's get back to the others."

They turned to go and stopped dead as they nearly ran into a startled man with black hair. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to yell. "Intru-"

"Silencio!" Ginny yelled before he could finish. He glared at her and raised his wand, but a jet of red light knocked him backward and he landed in a heap at the top of the stairs.

She turned to see Harry lower his wand and smirk at her. "They know we're here now," he said quietly. "Let's go."

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Hermione whispered, glancing around uneasily. The damp, stone corridors were an unwelcome change from the cool evening air they'd come from. She shivered slightly and tried to keep her breathing shallow. It smelled like mildew and a sickly sweet, rotting smell that she couldn't quite place.

"I'm sure," Draco hissed as his shoulder slammed into a corner of wall. He growled softly as he massaged his upper arm. "I can't see a damn thing, though."

"We can't do any spells, remember?" Daphne said in a slightly nasally voice. "Or I would've done a bubblehead already. What do you think that smell is?"

"I don't think I want to know," Hermione said softly. They fell silent as they continued forward. Soon after, they reached a metal gate that blocked the passage. It was locked with a heavy padlock. "Oh, no…"  
"That wasn't here before," Draco sighed irritably, running his hand along the metal grate. "We're going to have to use a spell."

"Maybe not," Daphne said, stepping forward. She produced a thin pen knife and slipped off one of her earrings. "That's the problem with wizard society," she said as she fiddled with the heavy lock. "We get so used to using magic for everything that we forget there's other ways to do things. There!" She grinned in triumph as the lock clicked and hung open. She pulled it off and set it on the floor.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked in awe.

Daphne shrugged and grinned as she slipped her earring back on. "I read it in a muggle book." Draco stared, wide eyed and Hermione smiled.

"Good one, then." Draco said as he started forward again. As they continued, the smell got worse and the air chilled even more. Hermione began to wonder if they were going further underground. Suddenly Draco gasped softly and she froze.

She had to squint in the dim light to make out the rows of what looked like cages lining either side of the hallway. She glanced into the first cell and recoiled in horror. The corpse chained to the wall inside was too decomposed to recognize. "Hello?" she called out shakily. "Is anyone alive down here?"

She forced herself to look in each cell as she walked forward. Most were filthy but empty, thankfully. "Hello?" she called again. A soft groan sounded to her left. She rushed forward and dropped to her knees to peer into the cell. It was too dark to make out the face, but the figure huddled in the corner shifted slightly. "Someone's alive over here!" She whispered frantically. Draco and Daphne rushed over and peered in.

"I recognize her," Daphne breathed, pulling down her bandana. "Susan Bones. We were in charms club together." Her voice cracked slightly as she stared through the bars. "We'll get you out, don't worry."

Without warning, a high pitched wail sounded above them. Hermione leapt to her feet, looking around frantically. A dark figure was hurtling toward them and she attacked without thinking. "Stupefy!" The robed figure keeled over at the end of the hallway. "We've got to get everyone out, now!" she shouted.

"Alohomora," Daphne muttered before rushing into Susan's cell. Hermione ran past her, checking each cell as she went. She heard Draco open a door behind her and talk softly to someone else. She came to the last door on her side and saw a figure in rags curled in the corner, half concealed in shadow. She was about to turn away sadly when a slight twitch caught her attention. Quickly, she unlocked the cell and hurried inside.

She dropped to her knees and placed a gentle hand on a bare shoulder. The person flinched away from her and pressed closer to the wall. "It's alright," she said soothingly. "We're here to help you, no one's going to hurt you. My name's Hermione. I'm going to get you out of here."

The figure shifted and pushed dark dirty hair out of a slightly gaunt face. Wild ice blue eyes met hers briefly and the person backed away further. Hermione quickly removed the hat and bandana so the prisoner could see her face. "G- Granger?" She wheezed, watching her warily.

"Pansy?" Hermione whispered in shock. "What are you-"

"Come on!" Draco's voice called frantically. "We've got three others, so get whoever's in there and go!"

Hermione looked over her shoulder then back at the shivering, crouched form of Pansy Parkinson. She sat back on her heels and held a hand out to the dark haired girl. "Come on," she said gently, "We're getting you out of here."

Pansy's eyes met hers again after a moment and she tentatively placed her hand in hers. Hermione led her out to the hallway where the others were supporting three more figures. Besides Susan, she recognized Terry Boot and Lavender Brown. Pansy stumbled slightly and Hermione wrapped an arm around her waist, putting the taller girl's weight onto her shoulder. She kept a firm grip on her wand with the other.

The seven of them moved as quickly as they could but it seemed like ages before they burst out into the crisp night air. Off to the right, they could see the multicolored flashes of spells. They tried to keep low as they made their way toward the hole in the wall. Hermione had the brief thought to go help, but she knew her first duty was to the injured prisoners.

They crawled out of the hole and all but collapsed on the grass outside the wall. Hermione raised her wand and sent a wisp of silver light toward the battle. She hadn't added a message, but she knew Harry would recognize her otter patronus and understand its meaning.

Moments later, Ginny and Luna came sprinting through the hole and nearly landed on the others. Ginny was grinning madly and spun to face the wall with her wand out. Harry and Neville slid through the opening a moment later. "Reducto!" Ginny cried gleefully. The wall behind them collapsed, filling the path with rubble.

Harry glanced around wildly, then settled on Draco. Without warning, he snatched the cap from his head and pointed at it with his wand. "Portus." They all leaned in to touch it and moments later, they were gone.

Hermione stumbled and almost fell as they landed back in the small park. She looked around quickly, but it didn't look as though they'd been followed. Harry was crouched down, digging through a very familiar beaded bag. He produced a black box and began twirling his wand at it. Hermione turned away to check on the others.

Luna was crouched over Terry who was sprawled in the grass, his face screwed up in pain. "It looks like his leg was broken and healed improperly," she said matter-of-factly.

Ginny was checking over Lavender. Her bruises stood out sharply in the street light. "She's not much better, maybe we should take them to St. Mungo's."

"We can't," Harry said, not looking up. "The Death Eaters will be looking for them. Poppy and Fleur have a sick bay set up at headquarters."

"I'm alright," Susan reassured a worried looking Neville. He was studying her carefully. She had a few bruises and blood staining her clothes, but she seemed to be standing on her own alright. "I was only there for a few days." Neville frowned and abruptly pulled her into a hug. Hermione smiled at that. They had dated their last year of Hogwarts and Neville seemed extremely glad to see her again.

She heard a groan and turned to where Draco and Daphne were kneeling over Pansy as she attempted to sit up. "I'm fine," she growled to no avail. Her friends continued to fuss over her.

Harry appeared at her side and extended his hand to her. He held a dozen wands in his fist. "These were in the box," he explained. "See if you can figure out if any of them belong to these four. I'll take the rest to Ollivander."

Hermione nodded and laid them on the grass. "Could you all take a look at these, please?" she asked the group. Everyone gathered closer to study them.

"That's mine," Susan said, selecting one and fingering it lovingly. Terry smiled as he extracted his from the row. Lavender frowned then gave a pained smile as she found hers.

"This is Pansy's," Draco said over her shoulder. He picked it up and examined it.

Harry raised his head and looked over. "Pansy Parkinson?" he demanded.

Hermione turned slowly to watch as he stalked over. Draco straightened and eyed him warily. "Harry, don't-"

"What's her wand doing there?" he interrupted, attempting to snatch it from Draco who took a step back.

"She was in the prison, Harry," Hermione said softly, catching his arm.

Harry turned his scowl on her. She gestured to where Daphne was still tending the other girl and his frown deepened. "She can't come back with us."

"What? Why not?" Draco demanded, bristling.

"She's a Death eater!" Harry snapped. "I'm not putting anyone in danger because of her."

"Obviously she's not anymore if she was in that awful prison," Hermione insisted. "You didn't see it Harry…"

Harry looked between them, emerald eyes flashing. "I'm not taking her back to headquarters," he said firmly. He snatched up the remaining wands and turned away. Louder, he continued, "Those of you who need medical attention, come with me."

Neville stepped closer to them, with one arm wrapped protectively around Susan. Harry shot him a questioning look. "I'm going to take her back with me," Neville said softly. Harry nodded and turned to the others.

"You're not just going to leave Pansy here are you?" Susan whispered, watching Harry's back.

"Of course not," Hermione said brusquely. "She can stay with us."

She glanced at Harry and watched him stuff the wands back into the black box. She caught a glimpse of parchment before he sealed it and stuffed it roughly into the small bag and out of sight. "Alright then," he said, turning back to the group. "You two can come with me for now, I'll take you to a safe house." He gestured to Lavender and Terry who moved uncertainly toward him. He grasped each of them by the upper arm. "Thank you all for your help." With that, he turned and all three disappeared with a loud crack.

Everyone stood in awkward silence for a moment. Ginny was the first to speak. "Well, if that's all the excitement for tonight I think we'll call it a night," she said with forced cheer. "Can you all make it alright?" They nodded and Ginny smiled and caught Luna's hand. Everyone watched until they disappeared around the side of the building.

Draco looked around and groaned dramatically. "That bloody prat ruined my hat, I forgot."

Daphne chuckled and removed her own. "You made extras," she reminded him as she shoved it unceremoniously onto his head. He yelped in surprise and flailed to pull it off again.

Hermione smiled at their antics, then turned to Pansy. She was sitting on the ground still, her expression blank as her eyes followed them. She shivered and Hermione removed her jacket and held it out. Pansy stared between it and her before wordlessly taking it and slipping it on. "Can you stand?" Hermione asked softly, crouching beside her.

Pansy's eyes darted to her for a moment and narrowed. "Yea," she grumbled as she struggled up. She swayed slightly on her feet and Hermione held up a hand to catch her, just in case. "I'm fine, Granger," she snapped, glaring at the shorter girl.

Hermione sighed softly and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I was just trying to help," she said stiffly.

"Well, I don't need help," Pansy insisted, stumbling forward. Hermione decided to stay beside her anyway as they made their way back to their building. They parted ways with Susan and Neville at the elevator and the four of them returned to their flat.

As soon as they were inside, Draco raised his wand and stalked from room to room. Daphne helped a disgruntled Pansy over to the couch and Hermione trudged into the kitchen. She'd just set a pot of tea to boil when Draco emerged in the doorway. He stowed his wand in his pocket and crossed his arms across his chest, watching her.

"What's up, Drake?" she asked as she pulled out four mismatched tea cups.

He sighed and sat heavily at their small table. "I just have a bad feeling about all this," he admitted. He crossed his arms on the table and rested his chin on them, still watching her.

She turned away from the stove to lean against the counter. "What do you mean?" He shrugged moodily as his gaze drifted to the doorway of the living room. She lowered her voice slightly as she followed his gaze. "You think there will be consequences from tonight."

He sighed softly. "I don't know, I just wish I knew what he was after in there." He scowled again. "That bloody- the nerve of him asking for our help and then…" He sat up, agitated.

Hermione moved around to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's an old prejudice, Drake, he just needs more time to see past the Slytherin part of you."

Draco sighed and returned his chin to his arms. "I got over mine and they were a lot bloody more ingrained than school houses." She patted his shoulder again. There was nothing else to say at the moment. The kettle chirped in the beginnings of a shrill whistle and she rushed over to lift it off the burner.

"Hermione?" Daphne called tentatively, poking her head through the door. She turned toward the dark haired girl. "Could you come help me? I don't know very much about muggle healing."

She turned to Draco who stood up. "Go ahead, I'll finish this up." He took the kettle from her and shooed her away.

She stepped into the living room and found Pansy leaning back on the couch glaring at the far wall. Hermione knelt in front of her, inspecting the cuts and bruises adorning her face. A deeper cut ran down the side of her neck and disappeared under her ragged shirt. Hermione sighed to herself. "Let's get you cleaned up first, then we can see how bad these are."

Daphne immediately jumped up and a moment later, the bath could be heard running. Pansy tried to glance over her shoulder and grimaced in pain. "Try to stay still," Hermione ordered gently, "At least until we've got you patched up." Ice blue eyes watched her warily for a moment. "What?" she asked, trying to keep her tone even.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the question. "A lot has changed since school, I guess," she replied with an easy shrug.

"I noticed," she said with a ghost of her trademark smirk. Then it faded and her eyes took on a far away look. "Not everything, though," she continued softly.

Daphne appeared behind her and shot a questioning look over the back of the couch. "Come on," Hermione said, offering a hand to the other girl, "Let's get you cleaned up." With minimal protest, Pansy stood and obediently followed her.


	3. Run

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

-1 Ginny groaned softly as she sank into the soft cushions of the couch. Luna locked the door and settled next to her, leaning against her slightly. "I must be out of practice," Ginny mumbled. She shifted to wrap an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and pull her closer.

"Mmm," Luna agreed. "I forgot how much spell work can take out of you."

Ginny grinned impulsively. "Me too. It was great to be back out there." Luna shifted to stare quizzically at her. "Er, not out fighting I mean… just doing spells- but not those kind of spells…"

Luna giggled as she pressed a finger to her lips to stop her babble. "I know what you meant and it's alright. You've always been a fighter." She leaned up to kiss her cheek lightly. "It's one of the things I love about you."

Ginny smiled and tightened her arm around her. "I missed the excitement, but I'm not sorry it's only occasional now. I wouldn't want to do that every day."

Luna nodded and gave her a quick peck on the lips before standing. "So what do you want for dinner?"

"Huh?" It still threw Ginny off sometimes how quickly the other girl could switch tracks. Luna just smiled and disappeared into the kitchen. Ginny sat back and ran through the evening's events in her head. Harry hadn't told them what he was looking for, but he'd apparently known what to expect. She wondered how he'd known his way around and where the mysterious box was. She tried to guess what it could have contained but had to resign herself to the fact that she would probably never know. They'd deserted the fight and Harry simply didn't need them any more.

Dinner was rather subdued, both girls lost in their own thoughts. When they finished Luna quietly cleared up the dishes and Ginny wandered back to the living room. She flopped onto the couch and turned on the television, flipping channels numbly. Soon, Luna sat beside her and rested her head on the other girl's shoulder. Ginny sighed and caught the other girl's hand, twining their fingers together.

"I don't think it's anything personal," Luna said softly. Ginny glanced down and met the clear blue stare. "I don't think he completely trusts anyone any more. Also I'm sure he's still trying to protect us in his own way." Ginny smirked at how well the other girl knew her mind. She opened her mouth to comment when a loud bang sounded outside the window.

She leapt to her feet and raced to look outside. She scanned the street below desperately, but nothing moved within the pools of lamplight. She stepped back, debating whether to open the window for a better view, when another sound reached her. Shattering glass.

She spun around, but Luna had disappeared from the small living room. She'd just started toward the bedroom when the front door flew from it's hinges directly into her path. It crashed against the opposite wall and Ginny froze. Two figures in black robes were standing in the open doorway with wands trained on her.

"Well if it isn't my favorite blood traitor," the taller figure sneered. She was certain the voice belonged to Blaise Zabini. "I wasn't sure who to expect, but it certainly wasn't you. Come quietly, we've already made enough of a scene."

Ginny took a shaky breath, wondering where Luna was and if they knew she was here. She decided to fall on an old standby: Gryffindor bravado. "What's with the theatrics, Blaise?" she said with a cocky smirk. "This is an awful lot of effort just for me."

The tall figure twitched irritably but it was the shorter one who answered. "Shove it, Weasley. The Dark Lord won't be happy if we only return with pieces of you." She swallowed hard and looked quickly around for a weapon. Her wand was in the bedroom where, hopefully, Luna was hiding. She inched sideways toward the kitchen, trying to get them to turn with her.

The shorter one mumbled something softly and a burst of orange light shot from her wand. Ginny threw herself sideways and felt the spell graze her arm and crack the plaster wall behind her. "Damn it, Bulstrode, we need her alive!" Blaise shouted.

Ginny scrambled to her feet, ignoring the hot wetness running down her arm. She grabbed one of their rickety wooden dining chairs and swung it around, catching Millicent just as she rounded the corner. She roared furiously and tackled Ginny, slamming her to the ground and knocking the air from her lungs. Ginny gasped as she tried to wrestle the larger girl from her.

"Stupefy!" Luna's voice yelled from the other room, followed by a heavy thud. Millicent turned her hooded face toward the sound and Ginny took the opportunity to drive her fist into her chin. The girl collapsed heavily on top of her and she squirmed free. "Ginny?" Luna cried, panic edging her normally calm voice.

"I'm alright," she responded as she stumbled to her feet. Luna rushed forward, clutching both their wands, and ran to her. She hugged the smaller girl tightly before grimacing at the two figures by their feet. "Pack a bag, love," she said as calmly as she could, "We've got to leave."

Luna nodded and handed Ginny her wand before she disappeared into the other room. She nudged Millicent with her foot and the girl groaned. "Stupefy," Ginny muttered, stunning her. "Incarcerous." Ropes flew from her wand and soon both figures were bound tightly.

"Obliviate." Luna had returned and her face was set as she pointed her wand at them. She sighed and set down the small duffle bag she'd been carrying. "Hopefully they won't remember who they found here," she said, offering a ghost of a smile.

Ginny nodded and pulled on her jacket. She slung the bag over her shoulder and spared one last glance at the two prone forms. She clutched her wand tightly in her jacket pocket and caught Luna's hand. "Let's hurry," she murmured, "There might be more coming."

Hermione stared into the last dregs of tea in her cup trying to let the last few hours sink in. Draco and Daphne had gone to bed a half hour before, but she was definitely not ready to try and sleep. She glanced toward the living room; Pansy's labored breathing was the only sound.

Hermione tried to guess what had happened that would lead to the girl being imprisoned in her own family's dungeon. She shuddered, thinking of the cuts and bruises that had covered her body and how skeletally thin she was. _How long was she down there_, she wondered, _and why? _She didn't want to imagine what she had gone through.

She heard a soft whimper and moved quickly into the next room. Pansy's face was contorted in pain and her muscles twitched in the throes of a nightmare. Hermione hurried forward and sat on the couch beside the sleeping girl. "Pansy?" she said softly, touching her arm lightly.

"Don't, please," she murmured, flinching away from her.

"Pansy, wake up," she said more loudly, giving her shoulder a shake. Pale blue eyes shot open and she looked around frantically, pressing away from Hermione into the couch cushion. "It's alright, Pansy, you're safe now," Hermione said soothingly. She reached out to touch her but hesitated, unsure if the gesture would help or panic her more.

She blinked several times and took a gasping breath as her gaze settled on Hermione. "Granger…" She frowned and sat up, scrubbing at her eyes with her fists. Hermione stood and backed up a step, sensing that the girl needed space.

Instead, she sat on the edge of the coffee table and watched her intently. "Are you alright, Pansy?" she asked gently after a moment.

She took several shaky breaths before fixing her with a cold stare. "I'm fine, Granger."

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "Good," she said just as coldly. "I won't bother next time, then." She strode back into the kitchen and snatched her cup from the table. She glared at the pot on the stove, debating, then refilled her tea. Finally, she sat back at the table, keeping her back to the living room.

Shuffling footsteps sounded behind her but she didn't turn. "Look Granger, I-" she began, but was interrupted.

"I have a first name, Parkinson," she snapped, twisting in her seat to glare at the taller girl.

Pansy crossed her arms defensively across her chest and leaned against the doorframe. "I realize that," she replied stiffly. Then she sighed and her posture slumped slightly. "I'm sorry, alright?" she said quietly. "The last couple months… and before that…"

Hermione's expression softened as she watched a series of confused emotions flash across the girl's face. "Do you want some tea?" she asked, already moving toward the stove.

"Do I what?" Pansy's eyes widened as she stared across the room at her. Hermione held up a cup, smiling slightly. She received a shrug and a smirk. "You don't make any sense, Grang- Hermione." She sat down at the table, shaking her head as though mystified by the offer.

Hermione chuckled as she set the steaming cup in front of her. "Don't I?" Pansy took an appreciative sip and didn't respond. Hermione returned to her seat and studied the other girl for a moment.

Ice blue eyes met hers briefly. "What?" Hermione raised her eyebrows and the other girl sighed heavily and put the cup down. "Look, I don't know what your game is or why you're helping me, but…" she looked away awkwardly. "Thanks for, you know, before."

She returned her focus to her tea and Hermione smiled. "Any time," she replied softly.

The shrill ring of the telephone cut through the silence. Pansy leapt to her feet, looking around wildly. "What the bloody hell was that?" she squeaked in alarm. It rang again before Hermione could reach it and Pansy glared at the offending device.

"It's alright," Hermione said quickly, "It's a muggle thing." She picked up the receiver with a shaking hand. "Hello?"

"Hermione? Thank God, are you guys alright?"

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Draco and Daphne sprinted into the room, still in their pajamas. She listened to the rushed tale and felt a cold knot of dread form in her stomach. "Alright, Gin, stay there for now and we'll be there as soon as we can." She hung up the phone and glanced around making a quick mental list.

"What happened?" Draco demanded, gray eyes wide.

"They were attacked," she said calmly. "Daphne call Neville and have him come down here immediately. Tell him to pack a bag. Draco, get together whatever you need and I'll grab some extra clothes for you two." She glanced between Daphne and Pansy. "We aren't safe here any more."

Ten minutes later a frantic banging sounded on the front door. Hermione gestured for Draco to stay close as she looked through the peephole. Neville and Susan were shuffling nervously in front of the door. "What's your least favorite plant?" she called out, trying and failing to keep her voice steady.

She saw Neville smirk before answering, "Mandrakes." She pulled the door open with a relieved laugh and ushered the two inside. "What's happened?" He asked as soon as the door was closed.

"Ginny and Luna were attacked," Hermione answered distractedly. She was mentally going over a checklist, trying to think if there was anything they were forgetting.

"What?" Susan squeaked in alarm. "Are they alright?"

Hermione focused on the tense girl in front of her and offered a reassuring smile. "Yes, sorry, they're fine. Two Death Eaters showed up at their apartment, but she said they knocked them out and wiped their memories."

"Did she know who they were?" Pansy asked softly at her shoulder.

Hermione turned to the taller girl and considered her for a long moment before answering. Her expression suggested morbid curiosity and nothing more, but Hermione couldn't be completely sure of her motives. "I didn't ask," she said finally. Pansy bit her lip, clearly trying to see if she was lying. Then she dropped her gaze and nodded.

"We can ask them when we arrive," Draco said soothingly. He had a backpack in one hand and his jacket in the other.

Pansy's eyes were fixed on his left arm and she cocked her head in confusion. "What's that?"

Draco smirked and dropped the bag to his feet. "A tattoo," he explained, holding out his arm for her to inspect. His forearm was covered in a detailed illustration of a green and silver dragon. It's spiked tail curled around his elbow and disappeared under his sleeve. Hermione had always liked the design, especially considering what it covered. "It's a muggle thing."

Pansy nodded, blue eyes wide, and reached out as though to touch it. Abruptly her face hardened and she dropped her arm to her side. "So where are we going?" Daphne asked, ending the awkward silence.

Hermione grabbed her bag from next to the door and hoisted it over her shoulder, throwing Daphne a grateful smile before she spoke. "She said they'd rented a room at the Red Fern. It's not far from here."

She reached for the door handle, but froze as a sound like a distant gunshot reached them. She stepped back sharply and glanced at the others. A second blast sounded and Hermione frowned, thinking hard.

"Do you think they know which number we're in?" Draco asked quietly. He zipped his jacket as he spoke.

"I think we should assume that they do," Daphne replied. Her eyes darted around the room frantically.

"If they did, they would have apparated right into the room with us," Hermione said quickly. "But it's probably not safe to go out the front, they might recognize us." Her eyes shot to Pansy of their own accord. Again, she wondered how they'd found them.

"Let's take the fire escape," Neville suggested, already moving to the window. Hermione nodded and they rushed out the door. The window was at the end of the hall and offered only minimal resistance as Neville slid it open.

Draco stepped out onto the landing first and glanced around, clutching his wand tightly in his free hand. "It looks clear," he whispered after a moment.

The others moved hastily through the open window, Hermione last. Before she stepped out, she glanced back over her shoulder. The hallway looked so peaceful and ordinary. She wondered if they would ever come back. Biting her lip, she resisted the feeble urge to lock the door to their flat. She knew it wouldn't do any good. Distantly, she heard the ding of the elevator being called. Shaking her head, she stepped out the window into the cool night air.

They closed the window and made their way down the narrow metal stairway as quietly as they could. Hermione's feet had barely touched the sidewalk when the street was momentarily illuminated by a flash of light. This was instantly followed by a loud crash far above them. She looked up but could only see the dull brick and dark windows rising against the night sky. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away. "Come on, we need to hurry."

They kept off main roads whenever they could, keeping to side streets and back alleys. Every few minutes, Hermione looked back over her shoulder, but the city was quiet. If their pursuers were close, there was no sign.

The Red Fern was a shabby motel in one of the less respectable parts of town. The red neon vacancy shone garishly below the larger sign that had seen better days. The E in Fern had burnt out and never been replaced. With a sigh, Hermione tore her eyes from the sight and moved around to the back of the building. Ginny had said that their room was on the second floor, just above the side door.

The group filed quietly into the dimly lit hall, but no one spoke. They couldn't allow themselves to feel safe quite yet. They ascended the back stairs and knocked lightly on room 233. They heard a muffled shuffling on the other side. "Hermione?" Ginny's voice called through the thin wood. She stepped to the front where she could be visible and nodded. There was silence for a moment, then Ginny's voice returned. "What was your favorite subject in school?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "All of them." On the other side, a scraping sounded as the door was unlocked. As soon as it opened, they rushed inside. Only after the door was closed and bolted did Hermione allow herself to engulf her friend in a bone-crushing hug. "Are you alright?"

Ginny nodded, squeezing her tightly. "And you?"

"We got out just as they got there," Hermione replied, pulling away reluctantly.

Ginny smiled tightly and nodded, ushering them further inside. The room contained two full size beds, a television on a rickety stand and a small table with two threadbare chairs. The thin comforter on the further bed had been thrown to the floor and Hermione proceeded to do the same to the other one before sitting down heavily. On top of everything else, she had no desire to touch the questionable top blanket.

Draco sat down beside her and leaned forward, running his hands over his platinum hair. Daphne all but collapsed next to him, resting her head on the back of his shoulder. Hermione could feel her shivering through the mattress. Neville and Susan took the two chairs at the small table and Ginny and Luna sat heavily on the opposite bed.

Hermione looked around to where Pansy was hovering uncertainly near the doorway. She had her arms crossed tightly across her chest and was biting her lip nervously. _Is she nervous because she led them to us? _Hermione wondered, studying the other girl. _Is she waiting for them to show up here as well?_

Pansy's eyes met hers and she inched forward. "Is it alright…" she hesitated, glancing at the other occupants of the room. "Can I sit down?" she asked softly. A light blush was the only color in her pale face and she dropped her eyes to the floor.

_I'm not being fair_, Hermione berated herself. She remembered again the cold damp dungeon that reeked of rot and death. Forcing a smile, she patted the spot beside her. Pansy sat on the edge of the bed, but her body stayed tense as though she would bolt at the slightest provocation.

"How do you think they found us?" Ginny asked quietly. Hermione twisted to glance behind Pansy across the room. Ginny was lying on her side with her head in Luna's lap. The latter was stroking her arm soothingly, but otherwise seemed completely untroubled.

Hermione sighed, running through the night's events in her mind. "It must have been the portkey," she said finally. "Otherwise they would have come before now."

Draco growled under his breath, drawing her attention. "We've been so careful," he said sadly. "We should have known it couldn't last." Daphne began rubbing his back lightly, but the dim light reflected on the tears in her eyes.

"What do we do now?" Susan voiced the question that they were all trying not to think about.

"Well, we probably shouldn't stay here. We don't know for sure how they found us. Also there's no way for us to try and detect them without giving ourselves away." Luna said all this as though she were considering tomorrow's weather. Hermione grimaced, causing Ginny to chuckle lightly.

"She's got a point," the younger girl said, sitting up. "The only place we'll be safe is somewhere with magical protection." Her caramel eyes met Hermione's and she knew they were thinking the same thing.

Hermione glanced briefly at Pansy, but the other girl was staring at the wall and seemed to be lost in thought. She was sure the reception would be less than warm, but they didn't have any other choice. "Pansy?"

She jumped and nearly fell off the bed. Startled blue eyes flicked to her, then away. "Y- Yea?"

Hermione sighed. "Look, I'm going to trust you. Please don't make me regret that." Pansy's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "There's a safe house in the city, and it should be alright for us to go there for now. Ginny and I are secret keepers still."

Draco lifted his head, looking confused. "What is it?"

"We can walk there from here," Hermione replied with a small smile. "Just remember: The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London."


	4. Grimmauld Place

A/N: Sorry for the incredibly long delay. I've been afflicted with a terrible case of writers block, along with a generally crazy life... Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

-1 Ginny forced herself to keep her footsteps even as the group made their silent way through the dark city streets. Several times over the last year, her wanderings through the city had taken her past the old building that had been a second home to them. She'd never gained the courage to approach the space between eleven and thirteen before tonight.

She wondered if any of her remaining family was still there. She'd been tempted many times to try and contact them. She missed her mother dearly and constantly worried about George and Bill. Ron, she knew, was still at St. Mungo's but she hadn't been to visit. She wondered what they would think of her if they saw her. She had abandoned them. Run away to hide in a world she didn't belong to.

"Gin?" Luna's soft voice ripped her out of her musing and she tensed, automatically tightening her grip on both her wand and her girlfriend's hand.

"What's wrong?" she hissed, searching the area frantically without breaking stride. "Did you see something?"

Luna gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and leaned closer to her. "No, sorry. Are you alright, though?"

Ginny gave her a quizzical stare. "I'm a little tense," she breathed, giving the shorter girl a ghost of a smirk.

Luna raised an eyebrow at her. "You're bleeding again." Her blue eyes dropped to the arm she was attached to.

Ginny frowned and glanced down at a dark stain that was slowly spreading over the upper right sleeve of her jacket. "Damn it," she murmured. She stopped and pulled the garment down her arm to examine the injury.

Hermione was by her side in an instant. "Ginny, what happened?" she demanded quietly. The others converged on her and she hastily shrugged her jacket back on.

"It's nothing," she murmured as she began walking again. "One of them hit me with a spell back at our flat. We shouldn't stop here, it's not safe."

Hermione gave her a frustrated stare but didn't disagree as she fell into step on her other side. Earlier when they'd arrived at the motel, Luna had torn a strip from one of the towels and used it as a makeshift bandage. Apparently it wasn't helping.

"It shouldn't still be bleeding," Luna whispered, frowning at the pavement in front of them. "I wrapped it awfully tight and it's been hours."

"It's probably not a normal wound." Ginny started slightly at the hoarse, unfamiliar voice behind her. She glanced back at Pansy over her shoulder but the other girl wasn't looking at her. Her pale eyes were narrowed and slightly unfocused. "They've come up with some pretty nasty new spells."

Ginny glanced uneasily at the dark stain but didn't respond. "We'll have someone take a look at it once we arrive," Hermione decided after a long pause. Ginny flicked her eyes to her old friend in question, but only received a tight smile.

She sighed softly and nodded. "Right," she murmured. Once they were all safely inside the old headquarters, the two of them would need to have a talk about the most recent addition to their group. Ginny fought the urge to look back again at their old rival. Instead, she lifted Luna's hand to her mouth and gently kissed her knuckles. "I'll be fine," she said softly.

They made the remainder of the journey in silence, finally pausing in front of the old familiar building. "Is this it?" Draco muttered, frowning uncertainly at the decrepit structure.

"Just think about what I told you at the motel," Hermione replied with just a hint of her old bossiness. The tone made Ginny smile; it'd been a while since she'd heard it.

The moment Ginny thought of the address, the building was there in front of her. There were hushed murmurs from the others as they saw it expand out from nothingness. She approached the old stone steps but stopped, suddenly overcome with uncertainty. She glanced at Hermione for reassurance and the older girl nodded and strode up to the entrance. She extracted her wand in a shaking hand and tapped the dark door once. They held a collective breath as the locks clicked open.

Hermione took a deep breath and stepped inside. Steeling herself, Ginny followed with the others close behind. The door closed behind them and for a moment they were engulfed in gray darkness. Ginny released her death grip on Luna and took a furtive step past Hermione into the dark hallway. There was a huge black scorch mark on the wall where Mrs. Black's portrait had once hung but otherwise everything looked the same. "Maybe no one's here," she breathed.

The words had barely left her mouth when two points of light abruptly flared to life. Ginny threw her arm in front of her face to block the brightness. "Who are you?" an achingly familiar voice demanded harshly.

Slowly Ginny lowered her arm as she tried to stare past the lit wands to their holders. "George?" she called tentatively.

The wand on the right lowered a fraction and she was able to make out her older brother's face. His hair had grown out so it fell over his forehead and he had a shadow of stubble on his chin. "Ginny?" he replied breathlessly. He made as though to rush forward when his companion's free arm shot out, stopping him.

"Wait," she snapped, keeping her wand level with Ginny's face. "We need to make sure."

George's eyes narrowed and Ginny felt her chest tighten when he raised his wand again as well. She took a half step back and felt the warmth of one of her companions close to her side. "What did Dad used to collect?" George asked in a choked voice.

Ginny let out a shaky breath and tried to smile, even though the casual mention of their father was painful. "P-plugs. Muggle plugs."

The wand light winked out as he dropped his arm and let out a sob of laughter. "Ginny!" He rushed forward and scooped her up into a bone crushing hug. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she returned the embrace.

A grinning Angelina Johnson approached the group, finally dropping her wand to her side to hug them. Ginny stepped back from her brother to hug the older girl as well. "What are you doing here?" Angelina demanded tearfully, pulling back to study her face.

"It's a long story," Hermione replied wearily as she gave their old friends affectionate hugs as well.

"George? Angelina? What's going on?" The door to the kitchen opened behind them and Ginny choked back a sob as she looked past her brother to the approaching figure.

"Mum?" The figure froze for an instant before breaking into a sprint toward them. "Mum!" Ginny squeezed past her brother and fell into her mother's arms.

"Ginny," she sobbed, squeezing her tightly. "What are you doing here? Where on Earth have you been?" Ginny laughed and leaned up to kiss her cheek before stepping back. "You cut your hair!"

"Yea." She nodded, chuckling softly. "I, um… we…" she gestured behind her, too overcome with emotion to force more words out.

"Luna, dear!" her mother cried, instantly pulling both girls into another fierce hug. "You look thin, have you girls been eating?" She glanced past them and seemed to notice the others in the hall for the first time. "Hermione! Neville!" She squeezed forward, to hug them as well.

Ginny glanced at George and found him frowning past them. Clearing her throat, she turned to usher the others forward. "You remember Susan Bones?" She gave an uncertain smile and was immediately pulled into the group hug by Molly.

Ginny smirked and tried to tune out her mother's exuberant greetings for the moment. George and Angelina's expressions both darkened as Draco and Daphne stepped into the light. "Daphne Greengrass and Draco… Malfoy…"

Draco cleared his throat and hesitantly put out his hand. "I know we've had our differences in the past-"

"That's one way to put it," George cut in harshly. Draco slowly lowered his hand and looked around uncertainly.

Hermione pried herself out of Molly's grasp and approached the others. "Daphne was never a Death Eater and Draco left that life a long time ago," she said firmly, looking between them all. "They're both friends of ours and we trust them."

George looked uncertain but nodded and after a moment Angelina did as well. Their silence finally caught Molly's attention and she turned to them in confusion. "Goodness, how many of you are there?" she asked in surprise.

Draco turned to her with his head slightly bowed. "We're not here to harm any one. This was the only safe place we could think of to go."

Molly considered them both for a moment while everyone waited on bated breath. Finally she nodded and smiled at them. "You must all be starving after everything that-" Suddenly her expression twisted to one of rage. "You! Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

The jet of red light bounced off Hermione's shield and hit the ceiling with a loud crash, showering them all in dust. Pansy had flinched back against the wall and was now pressed back against it, blue eyes wide and locked on Hermione. Hermione herself seemed as shocked as the rest of them. Slowly she dropped her wand back to her side and faced the others. The hallway was utterly silent. "Mrs. Weasley, please just listen," she said carefully. "Pansy's not one of them any more either. We found her the day we helped Harry."

Ginny glanced between the brunette and her mother curiously. It was the reaction she'd expected but she couldn't quite believe what her friend had done. "It's true, Mrs. Weasley," Susan said tremulously, stepping closer. "She was already in the dungeon when I was brought there."

"Well she _should _be locked up!" George growled. "You're not serious are you? Gin?"

She turned to meet her brother's gaze and knew they were both thinking the same thing. _That was nearly two years ago_, she reminded herself firmly. _Clearly a lot of things have changed. _She nodded and he turned away sharply and stomped away. No one spoke until his receding footsteps had faded above them.

"How could you bring her here?" Molly demanded, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "How could you protect her after what she did to Fred? And Ron?" Her voice was thick with emotion when she said their names and Ginny felt her eyes fill again.

Hermione, however, was resolute despite the tear slowly trailing down her cheek. "I know she was there but she isn't the one who hurt them. I know she was one of them once, but-"

"No, she's right," Pansy interrupted, straightening. She leveled her gaze at the older woman but her expression was completely unreadable. "I can't change the mistakes I made in the past and you've got no reason to trust me. I won't stay here if you don't want me to." She turned and took a step toward the door.

Molly frowned at her back for a moment then sighed. "We're not going to just throw you on their mercy," she said quietly. "We all know they won't show any." Pansy stopped but didn't turn back around.

Angelina stepped up to Ginny and caught her shoulder lightly. "Come on, we'll set you lot up in the empty rooms."

"Do you have anyone here that's good at healing spells?" Luna asked as they started toward the stairs. Ginny grimaced as her mother spun around in alarm and she grudgingly pulled down her jacket to show her wounded arm.

Molly's demeanor instantly changed when she saw the injury. "Oh, Ginny what happened? Of course, come upstairs! Poppy's gone for a few days but Fleur should be able to sort you out." Ginny allowed herself to be ushered away by her mother and girlfriend.

"Pansy should probably come as well," Luna pointed out as they started up the first flight. Molly scowled but said nothing. "Some of those wounds looked fairly serious and the muggle remedies aren't nearly as helpful."

Molly's expression softened slightly as she looked back at the other girl. "Of course. This way."

"How's it feel Gin?" Hermione asked from her perch on the edge of the bed her friend was currently stretched out on.

Ginny twisted her arm to look at the smooth, unmarred flesh. "Like it never happened," she replied with a shrug.

Luna, who was sitting by Ginny's head and leaned against the wall, looked down curiously. "Did she know what the spell was?" Fleur was still across the hall tending to Pansy and they hadn't had much chance to talk to the older girl.

Ginny shook her head, still examining her upper arm. "Apparently it was one she'd seen before but didn't know how to cast. It just keeps bleeding until it kills you."

Hermione shivered at the thought. "I'm glad it only hit your arm."

"Me to, believe me," Ginny chuckled. Luna smiled and leaned down to stroke her choppy hair and plant a kiss on her forehead. Ginny propped herself up on an elbow to deliver a more heated kiss to her girlfriend.

Hermione blushed and hurriedly got to her feet. "Well, I'm going to let you two get some sleep. Good night."

Ginny chuckled again. "Sounds good."

"Good night, Hermione," Luna called just before she firmly shut the bedroom door.

She smiled to herself. "Those two," she mumbled, shaking her head. The door across from her opened and Fleur stepped out, frowning. "Did everything go alright?"

Fleur smiled at her but it seemed slightly forced. "For ze most part, oui," she replied. Hermione raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. The older girl sighed and tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear. "I could not heal ze long cut on her neck completely. She was hit by a powerful curse and will probably always have zat scar." She shrugged and turned away. "Good night," she called over her shoulder.

Hermione bit her lip as she watched the woman glide down the hall and disappear around the corner. She only debated for a moment before knocking lightly on the door.

"Yea?" Pansy called gruffly.

"It's Hermione," she called softly through the wood. "Can I come in?"

The silence stretched out for so long that Hermione had started to turn away before the response floated out to her. "Sure, yea. I guess so."

Hermione stepped into the room and carefully closed the door. The small room was sparsely decorated and thick cobwebs were visible in the corners. The only light came from a single candle flickering from the bedside table. "How are you feeling?"

Pansy was sitting on the bed with her back propped up against the wall. She gave her a humorless smirk and shrugged. "Fine, I suppose. She fixed all the cuts and bruises."

Hermione took a few steps closer to the other girl and stopped by the small table to examine the candle. "That's good," she said awkwardly. "What about…" She turned and moved toward a painting on the wall where some dark animal's tail was just visible behind a rock. "So nothing's hurting then?"

She turned back to find Pansy's eyes had narrowed slightly and were following her movements. She paced around to the foot of the bed and stopped again. "Nothing's hurting at the moment, no." Hermione nodded and started back toward the night stand. "Would you just sit down already?" Pansy snapped. "You're making me nervous."

Hermione huffed indignantly but sat on the edge of the bed anyway. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I talked to Fleur outside."

"So you already knew that I was fine."

She twisted around to glare at the other girl and found a hint of amusement in the icy eyes. "Well, yes," she admitted, frowning when the corners of Pansy's lips twitched.

"And you didn't believe her?"

Hermione rolled her eyes when she saw the familiar smirk forming. "Of course I believed her!" she cried, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "I was just…"

Pansy sobered again, watching her intently. "You just what?" she asked softly.

Hermione studied her for a moment but didn't see any sigh of contempt. "She told me that she couldn't completely fix one of them."

Pansy's hand jumped to the side of her neck where a thin scar now ran from the curve of her jaw down under her shirt collar. Her eyes flicked away and her expression hardened. "It could be worse."

"I suppose," Hermione conceded. "That one's not hurting either?" Pansy shook her head and dropped her hand back to her lap, but still wouldn't meet her eye. "Harry's used to bother him a lot," she mused, turning toward the wall again. "That's the only curse scar I've heard of acting that way but I've read a few books on the subject so-

She broke off at Pansy's short bark of laughter. She spun around to glare at her and received an apologetic smile. "Sorry. That's just such a…" she waved a hand vaguely, "a You thing to say."

Hermione bit back the scathing comment she'd been about to throw at the dark haired girl. Instead, she scooted further onto the bed and tucked her legs under her. "Yes, well, I'm told I read a little more than is generally considered sane," she replied with a small smile. "Ron used to-"

She looked away awkwardly, blinking back sudden tears. Behind her, Pansy sighed softly and she felt the mattress shift as the other girl moved. She was surprised when a hesitant hand touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry about… what happened to him."

Hermione scrubbed at her eyes, determined not to break down. "You didn't do it."

"I know," Pansy said softly. She moved closer until her legs were hanging off the bed and their shoulders were almost touching. "But I was still there with them, fighting for the Dark Lord and his mad ideals." Hermione chanced a glance over and found Pansy's gaze trained on the flickering candle flame. Her pale eyes were swimming with unshed tears. "Every one of us is at fault for everyone who's been hurt in this war."

They sat together in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Pansy spoke again. "Did you- did you love him?"

Hermione smiled at the many happy memories the question brought. "In a way I suppose I did, we were together for quite a while. But we were always better as friends. He and Harry were like my brothers. My family."

"Yea," Pansy said wistfully. "That's how we were too. Millicent, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Draco…" Hermione looked over at her and she swiped quickly at a tear.

"Is it hard seeing Draco with Daphne?"

Pansy shrugged and finally met her gaze again. "We were always better off as friends as well. It is nice to have a familiar face around, though. That doesn't hate me."

"I don't hate you," Hermione said immediately. She was a little surprised by the declaration, and more surprised to realize that it was true.

Pansy seemed to think so as well because she gave her a perplexed stare. "You should." She frowned and bit her lip, apparently thinking. Hermione waited quietly. If Pansy was going to be here with them, she knew they needed to have this talk. "Why did you stop her from attacking me?"

The question surprised Hermione. "I… don't know. It was sort of a reflex." Confusion passed briefly across the other girl's face. "It surprised me a little too." She sighed and met Pansy's stare fully. "I suppose I just don't think you deserve to be hurt any more."

Pansy scoffed and turned away. "Why not? I've hurt you." Hermione opened her mouth to comment but Pansy talked over her. "I made your life miserable from the first moment I met you. I was terrible to you at school and worse after the war began. You should hate me more than anyone else here." The last sentence was a snarl and Hermione had to force herself not to flinch. Then she sighed. "But you don't and I don't understand why."

Hermione watched her for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She didn't want to say the wrong thing but she knew the other girl needed some kind of explanation. "I believe that everyone has good in them," she said softly. "I think that people can change if they're given the chance."

"And you think I'll change?"

Hermione nodded. "I think you already have. Otherwise, we wouldn't have found you in that awful dungeon."

Pansy was quiet for a time, apparently thinking over what she'd said. Finally she shifted to face her, sitting cross legged with her elbows resting on her knees. Despite the casual pose, Hermione could see that she had tensed again as though braced for something. "You haven't asked me why I was down there."

Hermione studied her guarded expression and tense form, then nodded curtly. "I know." Pansy tilted her head slightly. "I'm not planning on asking either. But if you want to talk about it you can, I'm a good listener."

A series of emotions crossed her face and Hermione smiled and stood up. "For now, though, I should probably let you get some rest. It's been a long night." Pansy nodded mutely and she started for the door.

"Hermione?" She paused in the doorway and turned back to where Pansy hadn't moved from her earlier position. Her pale eyes reluctantly lifted to meet her own dark ones. "I- thanks for, um…" she sighed and offered a small genuine smile. "Good night."

Hermione smiled back, feeling warmed by this unexpected end to the night. "Good night, Pansy."

Hermione woke feeling completely disoriented. She sat up slowly, staring around the unfamiliar room. For a moment, she was sure she was dreaming. Then the nights events rushed back and she let out a shaky breath. She pulled on a pair of faded jeans and, as an afterthought, took her wand from the nightstand and shoved it in her pocket.

The house was silent as she made her way down the stairs, but a light was shining under the kitchen door. She stepped inside and was greeted by the smell of fresh coffee. Ginny was sitting alone at the long table with a steaming mug between her hands.

"Morning," she said tiredly. She gestured toward the stove and Hermione moved gratefully toward the pot and mugs.

She smiled as she poured the rich liquid and went to sit by her friend. "Good morning. How'd you sleep?"

Ginny grinned wickedly, then hastily schooled her features. "Fine," she replied innocently.

Hermione giggled and shook her head. "I'll bet." She took a sip of hot coffee and let her gaze travel lazily around the room. The door opened again, then closed. Hermione frowned in confusion, then saw the top of a bald head and pointed ears travel past the edge of the table. She sighed inwardly. "Hello, Kreacher," she said tentatively.

The little elf turn wide eyes on her and to her surprise he bowed low. "Good morning, Miss. Kreacher is making breakfast. Can he get you anything first?"

Hermione exchanged a wide eyes look with an equally mystified Ginny. "N- no thank you, Kreacher."

"Please let Kreacher know." He bowed again and disappeared into the pantry.

"What on earth happened to him?" Hermione whispered, leaning closer to her friend.

Ginny shook her head in bewilderment. "I've got no idea. He looked, well, clean." They both looked back at the pantry door. "Did you see the locket he was wearing?" Hermione nodded, thinking it had looked vaguely familiar.

The door opened again and both girls looked up. Harry strode in, rubbing a hand over his unshaven face. He didn't seem to notice them until he went to set his rucksack on the table. He jumped, green eyes darting between them. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione bit her lip but Kreacher returned before she could explain. "Welcome back, Master Harry," he rasped, attempting to bow without dropping the parcels he was balancing. "Coffee is ready, would Master like a cup?"

"Sure, thanks Kreacher." The elf scurried to the stove and Harry sat heavily across from Hermione to give her a perplexed stare.

"We were attacked last night," Ginny said finally. "Death Eaters came to my flat and hers. We didn't know where else to go."

Harry's mouth fell open and his expression was immediately apologetic. "How did they find you? I was so sure we weren't followed! Are you alright?"

"We're fine, Harry," Hermione reassured him. "Fleur patched up Ginny and Pansy last night." As soon as the words left her mouth, Harry's expression darkened. "Harry, please…"

He glared up at the ceiling for a moment then sighed, deflating slightly. "Sorry, this is my fault. I shouldn't have involved any of you."

Ginny's hand jerked like she was about to reach out to him, then changed her mind. "We're alright," she said awkwardly.

He nodded distractedly then focused on Hermione. "Can we talk?"

Ginny immediately stood, taking her coffee cup with her. "Right, I'll just go see if Luna's awake."

She started toward the door but Harry caught her free hand, stopping her. "Sorry, Ginny, it's just-"

"It's fine, I understand," she interrupted, giving him a tight smile.

She strode out the door and Harry stared at the doorway for a moment. "They're happy together? Her and Luna?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"That's good," he murmured, still watching the door. It seemed to take an effort for him to turn back to face her. They studied each other for a moment, then he sighed heavily and crossed his arms on the table. "I found R. A. B."

"What? How?"

Harry leaned closer and Hermione automatically did the same. "Here, actually. It was Regulus Black. I asked Kreacher and he told me that Mundungus Fletcher had taken the original locket a while back."

Kreacher made a disgruntled noise from the counter where he was chopping vegetables. Harry shot the elf a weary smile before continuing the tale. "We found out after some… persuasion…" he shot another smile at the elf and Hermione wondered what had happened to change their relationship so dramatically. "Dolores Umbridge has got it. I'm going into the Ministry of Magic to get it back."

Hermione couldn't speak for a moment. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she could manage to squeak out, "You're going to do what?"

Harry grinned and for a moment he looked like his old self. "She's there and she's got one of the Horcruxes," he said simply.

She bit her lip and stared down into the remains of her coffee. Kreacher hoped onto a chair and refilled her cup, whistling softly under his breath. She smiled after him as he returned to the stove. "He seems happier," she noted, trying to fill the silence while her mind processed Harry's words.

"Master Harry is a good and kind master. Kreacher is happy to serve him," came the croaked response.

Hermione smiled and raised an eyebrow at Harry, who shrugged. "So, what's your plan?" She kept her tone neutral, waiting for a reaction. "Do you need people to go with you?"

Harry gave her a sad smile. "I've got some people coming along." Hermione nodded. She'd been expecting that. Then his eyes widened. "There is something else you might be able to help with, though."

Hermione forced a smile. "We might as well. It seems we're back in this fight."

"Is Malfoy here with you?"

Hermione felt the smile slide off her face. "Yes he is, Harry, and before you-"

"That's not what I meant," he said quickly holding up his hands. "Ollivander's been kidnapped by the Death Eaters."

Hermione gasped softly. "Why? What could they possibly want from him?"

Harry scowled down at the table. "Vol- He doesn't know that I'm after his horcruxes. No one does." His eyes met hers pointedly and she nodded, urging him to continue. "He's been obsessed with wands since the last time we faced each other. When Ron… When his wand still wouldn't work properly against me."

Hermione nodded, remembering the strange behavior of the wands that day. Harry had said his wand had performed a spell on it's own, something unheard of and theoretically impossible.

"Since then he's been obsessing over finding one that will work against me. I've gotten flashes of what he's thinking and doing so I've got a good idea of where they took Ollivander."

Hermione could feel the cold knot of dread forming in her stomach but forced herself to ask. "Where?"

"Malfoy Manor."


End file.
